Sola Castle (original story)
by Wylow Moon
Summary: He squeezed his eyes tight and felt his heart start beating harder in his chest. Slowly, knowing he was going to regret his decision, but having no other choice, he opened his eyes and turned around. There in his kitchen was a grotesque monster. It stood on two legs like a human, had two arms like a human but it was definitely NOT human! Rated MG Cover borrowed from DanielPriego
1. chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Dillan, time to go!" Dillan's mom yelled from the hallway. Dillan looked around his room one last time. It was now empty and devoid of character now that he had all his things packed up. He let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed his backpack from the floor near the doorway. Moving was the worst thing he could ever imagine happening to him.

"Mom, why can't I just stay with Grandma?" He asked her as she picked up his baby brother.

"Because, honey, Grandma is too old to have to deal with taking care of someone else. Honey, I know you're mad about this move. I promise it won't be as bad as you think. You will make plenty of new friends. You will also get your very own room. Wouldn't that be nice? Not sharing a room with your little brother?"

Dillan rolled his eyes as he followed his mom to the car. There was no way she could understand what it was like for him. He wasn't just leaving and making new friends. He was leaving his old friends behind. How was this new house, this new place, going to be better?

"Stupid. New. Job." He muttered under his breath punctuating each word. He turned and watched his old home disappear from the back window of the car. He had a feeling that things were only going to get worse from here on out. Facing back around in his seat he angrily pulled his backpack to him and took out his Kindle Fire. He decided he would be giving his mom the silent treatment for the whole trip, thinking that might teach her a lesson.

"Wake up sweetie, come on we are here." Dillan's mom spoke softly, gently shaking him awake. Dillan looked around as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. It had been a really long drive and after several pit stops and successfully ignoring his mother's attempts at small talk, he fell asleep watching Minecraft video's on YouTube. His baby brother, who was also asleep, in his car seat next to him, started stirring. Getting out of the car Dillan looked up at his new house. It didn't look like much.

It was an old two-story house that had seen better days, a very, very long time ago. The paint was a faded blue, chipping around the windows and one of the shutters was hanging at an odd angle. The door stood wide open so he decided to walk inside, leaving his mom to deal with his bratty little brother.

The front door led to what looked like a receiving room. Straight ahead of him was the stairway. Deciding the bedrooms where probably upstairs he took them two at a time. If he found a bedroom he really liked the least his mom could do was let him have it.

The first room he found was definitely made for a baby. It had creepy circus wallpaper that was peeling off of the walls, making the circus clowns look deformed. There was also an old abandoned crib sitting in the corner, with a thick layer of dust coating it. Dillan shivered as a chill ran down his back and hurried to the next room. It was a lot bigger than the last and had a bathroom attached to it. Which meant this would definitely be his mom's room. The door at the end of the hall was all that was left.

"Looks like I have no choice. See what you have won behind door number three!" He said with a heavily sarcastic tone. Pushing the door open he groaned in dismay. This room was even worse than the baby room. It had stacks of boxes in it and several of the piles had been knocked over. Dillan eyeballed the huge mess on the floor.

"This has got to be the worst day in history." He said, before he got down on his hands and knees. As he started picking up random papers and books from one tipped over boxes he couldn't help mumbling complaints under his breath. He soon was also picking up more than just book and papers. The items became more random and puzzling as he went.

Some of the items included: a broken compass, whose needle wouldn't move, a small hourglass with liquid instead of sand, and the most intriguing, a chain necklace with a round green orb pendant. The orb was held in place by intricate vines twisted around it.

He put the hourglass and broken compass in his pocket but put the chain around his neck, hiding the orb pendant under his shirt. By the time all the tipped over boxes had been cleaned up Dillan could see the sun setting through the half covered window.

"Dillan?"

Dillan jumped and turned to look at the doorway.

"Jeez mom you scared the crap out of me." Dillan's mom laughed softly and leaned on the door frame looking at the room full of boxes.

"The realtor said that there was a bunch of stuff left behind. I didn't realize she meant this much though. Looks like we have our work cut out for us don't we?" She said. Dillan looked at the boxes around the room too.

"Yeah, This place is kind of a dump mom. It's a little bit creepy too. Why did you have to pick this house?"

Dillan's mom took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled out her mouth before answering.

"Dillan, I know you didn't want to move but you are just going to have to suck it up. It's not just new and scary to you. It is for me too. I don't know anyone here either. As for the house, it maybe be old but it was in the budget and I actually think it has a lot of potential. Just... give it a chance. Please?"

Dillan looked at his mom and felt like a complete jerk. He was being pretty hard on her. He nodded his head and gave her a hug.

"Ok mom. I will try and make it work."

"Good. Now why don't we get some pizza for dinner? Then we can watch a movie on the laptop or something. We can work on your room tomorrow before the U-Haul truck gets here with our things."


	2. Chapter 2

Dillan woke up to the sound of his little brother crying. Sitting up he looked around. Almost forgetting where he was. The necklace he had put on last night was pulling on his neck from being twisted up in his sleep making him need to adjust it.

"I guess it wasn't a dream after all." He whispered to himself.

He had fallen asleep on the blowup mattress watching a cartoon last night. Stretching, he got up and walked through the living room and receiving room. There was a door to the left of the stairway standing open and he could hear his little brother Isaac playing with toys and his mom talking on the phone. Instead of bothering her he figured he might as well get started on clearing out his room.

The boxes were going to take forever to move. His mom decided they could all be moved to the basement for now. This way all of them could be gone through later to see what could be kept, tossed, or donated. Dillan started closest to the door and started hauling the boxes through the hall down the stairs and into the kitchen where the door to the basement was located. He set the few boxes in his arms down onto the floor next to the doorway so he could find a light switch. Finding none he swallowed loudly and looked down the dark stairway. The end was felt like a giant black nothingness, just waiting to swallow him whole.

"I can do this. There is nothing down there. I am alone and there no such things as monsters." Dillan looked at the boxes by his feet and down into the dark basement again.

"You can do this, stop being such a baby."

Shaking himself, as he could shake off the fear, he took a deep breath and started descending the steps. Keeping one hand on the railing and the other on the wall he crept down slowly. Just as his foot hit the fifth step down, he heard something move in the shadows to his right.

"He-hello, is anyone there?" He stopped and held his breath. He strained his ears for any hint of sound.

"Just a rat... or something." He whispered under his breath. "It is nothing to be afraid of."

Waiting a moment longer, just to make extra sure there wasn't any other sounds, he continued down the steps until he reached the bottom. Blindly feeling along the walls he hoped there was a light switch. He stumbled forward awkwardly shuffling his feet, so as not to trip, he kicked something in front of him. The object skittered across the floor and hit something on the other side of the room.

There was more movement coming from across the room where whatever he kicked had landed. Dillan squeezed his eyes shut and frantically used both hands to search the basement wall for a switch he was starting to think was not going to be there.

"Finally!" he yelled in triumph and the lights flicked on in the center of the room. He opened his eyes and took in the basement surrounding him. It was mostly empty; except for some shelves with more boxes on them. There was also some long forgotten furniture, draped in dusty white cloth. There was an empty can of spray paint lying in front of what looked like a sofa. He figured that is what he must have kicked.

It was a relief to not see or hear any more signs of movement. Walking around the room he tried to figure out what could have made any noise. Walking between the furniture he slowly made his way to the opposite wall but could find nothing. The shelves holding the boxes didn't look like much either and nothing in them that could have made and sounds.

He was about to turn around and head back up the stairs to grab the box at the top when he noticed his necklace glowing slightly, the green light coming through his shirt. Looking back at one of the shelves again he realized there was something behind the boxes, also emanating a faint green light. Dillan quickly removed a few from a shelf that was eye level and set them none too gently on the floor.

"This is so cool." He said to himself. He was now staring at the source of luminescent light. A section of door, hidden behind the wooden shelving, became visible. The part of the door he could see seemed to have the same detailed vines covering it as his necklace. Reaching out, he laid his hand on the door causing the orb and the door to simultaneously grow blindingly bright before snuffing out completely a second later.

"Dillan are you down there?" Dillan's mother called, startling Dillan out of the trance he seemed to be in. Her head peeked out from the top of the basement stairs, eyes searching for him in the dim light.

"Yeah mom." Dillan called back, hurrying to replace the boxes.

"The U-Haul is here. Why don't you come up and give me a hand, ok?"

"Coming!" Dillan answered as he slid the last box into place. He wasn't going to tell his mom about the door or the necklace, yet. First he had to find out why they seemed to glow when they were next to each other. He also wanted to find out what was behind the door. As he ran back up the stairs to the kitchen he looked back one more time, just to make sure the door was hidden properly. Satisfied that it was he went to help his mom.


	3. Chapter 3

Honey, why don't you get the plates out of the box over there? I think I have the silverware somewhere over here... Ah here they are. Now we can actually eat like a normal family." Dillan's mom said as she grabbed the silverware from a box sitting on the counter. Dillan put the plates on the table and slumped down into a chair, waiting for his mother to bring the spaghetti she made to the table.

"Mom don't forget the butter."

"Don't worry I know you don't like the sauce." She put the butter down on the table and set a plate of cut up spaghetti in front of Isaac.

"So how are you feeling about starting school tomorrow?"

Dillan shrugged his shoulders as an answer. He really didn't want to think about starting a new school.

"Well, I already have Isaac enrolled in the local day care. And after I drop you off I am going to head in to work. Those computers won't program their selves." Dillan just nodded, hearing his mother without actually having anything she said sink in. His mind was too occupied with imagining what could be behind the door.

"Anyway, I won't be off until evening time so you will have to take the bus home. I put a house key in your backpack for you already. There is a little bit of food in the fridge if you get hungry too. I should be home by six o'clock. I have to pick up your brother first."

"Can I just stay home? I don't want to go to school. I don't want to start all over." Dillan pleaded. His mom gave an audible sigh. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Dillan, please. Can't you cut me some slack? I am trying here. I wish you would try too." She pleaded with him, but this only seemed to anger him. How could she think he wasn't trying. If he wasn't trying he would have broken every window in the house, or broken walls, in anger.

"I have been trying mom! I have been trying really hard but I didn't want to move. I didn't want to leave my life behind! You never even asked me what I wanted!" Dillan yelled at his mother, slamming his fist down on the table in anger. Isaac, scared by the racket, started crying and his mother picked him up, trying to sooth him with shushing sounds and rocking him gently back and forth.

"I think it's time you went to bed Dillan." She said in an even tone. Dillan was only too happy to get away from her.

"Why is she doing this to me? I am fourteen, I should be able to do what I want. I am old enough to make my own decisions. " He said angrily as he bounced on his bed in his newly cleaned out room. He screamed at the top of his lungs into his pillow, hoping that would help calm him down; it didn't.

After tossing and turning in his bed for the next hour he realized, he was too riled up to get any sleep so grabbed his Kindle from his night stand and powered it on. Maybe, reading something would help him calm down enough. It wasn't until halfway into his newly downloaded Harry Potter book that he started hearing noises. Just like in the basement he could hear movement.

This time though, coming from the hallway. Looking at the digital clock by his bedside told him his mother had gone to sleep hours ago. He should have gone to sleep hours ago. It was a little after midnight.

The sounds of padded footsteps came outside his closed door again. Dillan sat as still as a statue, waiting. A strange inhuman sound drifted from the other side making his breath catch in his chest. This could not be happening, again. He watched the bottom of the door where the light from the hallway streamed through uninterrupted. When nothing blocked the light after a moment he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I have got to stop reading before bed. My mind is playing tricks on me."

He turned off his tablet and set it back on his side table. Now that he was certain it was just his imagination he realized how badly he needed to go to the bathroom. Creeping, out of his door, as quietly as he could, he hurried to the bathroom down the hall.

Before he could return to his room, however, he heard a pan clattering in the kitchen down stairs. He thought his mother had been asleep but must have been wrong. His mind told him to back to bed, but his gut said he should check on her.

"Mom?" he called as he slowly descended the stairs. "Is that you?" There was no answer.

"Mom, are you in here?" He asked again, heart pounding, has he turned right and headed into the kitchen. He picked up the sauce pan that was lying on the floor and set it on the counter.

"It just fell, that is all. It was just put on the counter wrong and gravity pulled it down."

He looked around the kitchen one more time, checking to make sure nothing else was out of place. The door to the basement stood wide open. He knew they had shut it when they finished moving the boxes down there.

Walking over to the entrance he looked to find the light on down below. Maybe it was her that he heard and she didn't hear him calling because she was in the basement.

"Mom, are you down there?" he asked. Hoping she had just gone down to get something out of a box. There was no answer. This is getting really creepy he thought as he went to shut the door. No way was he going down there right now. The door was halfway shut when he heard the growl behind him.

He squeezed his eyes tight and felt his heart start beating harder in his chest. Slowly, knowing he was going to regret his decision, but having no other choice, he opened his eyes and turned around. There in his kitchen was a grotesque monster. It stood on two legs like a human, had two arms like a human but it was definitely NOT human. Its skin was a greenish color and it had tusks growing out of its deformed face. The monsters oversized arms were the size of tree trunks and long enough to touch the kitchen floor with its giant sausage sized fingertips. Dillan gasped and then almost choked on the air he sucked in as it entered his lungs. The smell coming from the monster smelled like sewage and he could taste the smell on his tongue. Bile rose in his throat and he fought to keep it down.

The monster opened its mouth and let out a smelly, earth quaking roar. Dillan screamed in terror and looked for an escape but the thing in front of him was blocking the only exit. He only had one option. He had to run down into the basement.

Dillan threw the door back open and hurriedly descended the stairs as the monster lurched towards him. His foot caught on one of the steps a quarter of the way down. He screamed again as he tumbled down the remaining stairs and landed at the bottom. He felt his head it the floor hard and had to rapidly blink away the black spots in front of his eyes as his head seared with pain.

Looking up at the doorway he could see the monster already coming down after him. He scrambled up onto his feet and looked around frantically for a place to hide. As he searched for something to hide behind his necklace started to glow just like before.

"The door!"

Dillan ran to the book shelf the door was hidden behind and tried to push the bookshelf. It was a lot heavier that he thought. He glanced back to check on the monsters progress. It had made it down the stairs and was slowly advancing on him. It growled as if in triumph, seeing it had its prey trapped. Dillan gave up trying to push the bookshelf and started pulling instead, hoping it would topple forward. With one last tug, using all the strength he could muster, the bookshelf came down with a loud crash. Dillan kicked some of the fallen boxes out of the way and grabbed the decorated handle with both hands. Tugging it open he jumped through and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Oh my god, OH MY GOD!" said Dillan over and over. He slumped down and tried to catch his breath and slow his racing heart. It felt like it might beat out of his chest. As soon as he got his breathing under control he realized he couldn't hear whatever that thing was anymore. It was like as he shut the door the sound was cut off, similar to a sound proof room.

Holding his head in pain, he stood up to look at the room behind the door. Only, it wasn't a room. Dillan couldn't believe his eyes. He looked back at the door he came through but it was no longer there. In its place was a tree about as wide as a car. The tree had those stupid vines wrapped all around it, but live ones. Dillan felt the tree hoping the door was just hidden under the vines somehow but there was no sign of it.

"I don't understand. What is going on? Let me go back. Mom! Mom, help me!" he yelled, pounding on the trunk of the tree with no results, but now sore fists. There was no door and there was no way his mom could help him, never mind hear him. Even if she could there was still that monster in the basement. What if it hurt his mom, or his little brother? He had to go back. Had to try and get help. This time Dillan looked around more closely. He was in a forest or woods somewhere.

Looking above him he couldn't see the sky, either because it was night time where ever he was or because the canopy didn't let any light through, he was not sure which. Turning in a circle and looking through the trees he picked a direction at random and started walking. He had to find someone, anyone. He had to get help.


	4. chapter 4

Dillan walked for what seemed like hours and still there was no sign of the trees ending, or the sky beginning. He was starting to think he would be lost in the trees forever. How was he going to get home when he couldn't even figure out where he was?

The throbbing in his head was slowly getting worse, he was tired and starting to get hungry. He reached up to feel the spot where the pulsing pain was the worst and drew his hand away feeling something wet. He must hit his head harder than he thought. There was a small cut and swollen bump where he had hit it. Dillan wiped the blood from his hand on his pants and plopped down against a nearby tree.

"I just want to go home." He said to the trees. Tears started falling down his face and he wiped at them angrily. He had never felt so alone. Looking around he spotted a tree with a hollowed out trunk. Moving forward to inspect it, he found the hole big enough for him to curl up in. The events of the day and night had physically and emotionally taken a toll on him. Knowing he couldn't fight the fatigue much longer, he decided that he would spend the night in the hollow and hopefully be able to find his way better in the morning.

"Shhh, you're going to wake him up." A voice said.

"But look at him Shara, it is just a human."

"Why did he even come into the woods? Humans know better than to come in here. This one must not be very bright."

Dillan woke slowly, three tiny voices coming from outside the hollow stirring him.

"He looks hurt Naga."

Dillan cracked his eyes open, trying to see where the voices where coming from. Through his bleary eyes he saw three small forms standing just outside the trunk he was lying in. Dillan sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. When he opened his eyes again he almost screamed in surprise. In front of him were three tiny creatures, the size of a toddler. They looked older than a toddler though. Like little people but the features did not look human. Their ear came to a point and their eyes were pure black. There was no nose on their faces, just two little slits. They all had brown, wild and matted hair that reached down to their knobby knees. The little creature wore what looked like old, ripped and torn brown dresses that were too big for their bodies.

"Who are you? What are you? Where am I?" Dillan asked, too curious to feel afraid. He didn't think they looked that scary and could probably throw one a good distance away if it tried to attack him. If he was being honest with himself, he would admit they actually looked a little bit adorable.

"Well, I never!" said one of the little creatures as if it were offended. It crossed its arms covering its tiny little chest and blinked out of sight. There was no puff of smoke or flash of colors. It was just gone. One second it was there and the next it disappeared right before his eyes. Dillan's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Don't mind Naga." One of the creatures said. "She offends really easy, so don't take it to heart."

Dillan nodded but still couldn't keep himself from gapping at the two still standing before him.

"To answer your question, we are brownies. Do you not know what a brownie is? And, we are in Sola Wood. I don't think your parents taught you very well. Everyone knows about Sola Wood. What town do you hail from?" The Brownie asked.

"Sola Wood? I... I don't know where that is. I am from Brookport. Is that close to here? I am still in Illinois right?"

"I have never heard of the town Brookport, or the land of Illinois. Are you sure you didn't just hit your head too hard? The closest town is Belkin, and that is almost half a day's walk from here on your human legs." The Brownie said eyeing Dillan with sympathy. The second brownie leaned over and whispered something in the first one's ear. The first Brownie nodded in response and the second brownie blinked away. The remaining brownie turned back to Dillan and looked him over as if scrutinizing every detail.

"Well, Human. Do you have a name? Or is that part of your brain muddled as well?"

"My name is Dillan, Dillan Story."

"Well met, Dillan Dillan Story. I am Shara." Shara said.

"No, just Dillan, Dillan is my first name and Story is my last name." he tried to explain.

"Very well then. Now, Dillan would you like some help getting out of here?" Shara asked.

Dillan nodded his head and crawled out of the trunk he was still sitting in. He stretched out his cramped body as he stood up and winced as his head had a sharp pain from the fast movement. He put his hand to it and muttered under his breath. He really needed to get that looked at.

"O.K., which way are we headed?" he asked as he looked down at Shara. She came up to a little below his knee, making him feel so much taller than his five-foot height. He still couldn't figure out if Shara was a male or female but felt if he asked he might offend her and really needed help out of these woods; more than he needed his curiosity answered.

"No direction. The only way out of these woods is by magic. That's why humans don't come in here. Humans can't do magic." The brownie answered. It shook its head in a pitying way. Probably, because he should already know this. Dillan's headache was coming back again, and it wasn't from the head wound.

"You just stand still and I will take us to town." She said, grabbing on to Dillan's pant leg. Before he could ask what it was doing he felt like his whole body was being sucked down a drain and there was pressure building in his ears. It reminded him of when his family would drive down a road that had big rolling hills and he had to swallow to pop his ears. As soon as the pressure came, it was gone. Dillan was now standing on the outskirts of a small town that looked like it came straight from a book.

The spot they had appeared at was right next to a winding dirt road leading into town. As they walked toward it, Dillan couldn't keep himself from staring at everything. There was a wagon moving in their direction with another monstrosity he had never seen sitting on the driver's bench, holding the horse's reigns. It kind of looked like a Goblin.

"Todo, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore." Dillan said shaking his head in dismay.

"Who is Todo? And what is Kansas?" Shara asked as she took her eyes off the road to look up to him.

"It's... something from a story. It is from my... home." Dillan explained lamely. How was he supposed to explain a movie to a brownie? This was obviously a different world than his. A world he still couldn't wrap his head around. They had made it into town and Dillan didn't know whether to be awed, excited, or scared. He had always loved books with mythical creatures in it. The worlds that the authors created always drawing him in, wishing he could be a part of them. So somewhere, along the way, there had to be someone who had seen the real thing. There is no way people could know about creatures from another world without having been there. Right?

"I have never heard this story of Todo, maybe you could tell it to me."

"Yeah, maybe." He answered, half lost in thought. He felt a little overwhelmed at the moment.

"We need to turn right at the next road. There is someone I know who might be able to help you."

Dillan walked along the road behind Shara. Looking at the different houses they passed. They all seemed to be made of a cabin style wood frame but the roofs differed from thatched or wooden shingles. The inhabitants seemed to be a mix of creatures of varying degrees. So far, going from the knowledge of what he read in books, he had seen a troll, brownie, goblin, a handful of elves and most thankfully, what looked like humans.

They turned right and walked hallway down the road before the brownie stopped and knocked at a random door. The home did not look different from any of the others. It had the damn wooden exterior, same wooden door, and a thatched roof. The only window he could see was covered by a light beige fabric keeping from anyone looking in.

Dillan shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood there nervously waiting. He was hoping this person or creature, or whatever he was about to meet could help him get home. He didn't have much hope though, how often did someone travel between worlds?

Finally, the door opened and a tall shadowy figure loomed in the doorway. The spell of heavy incense wafted out and stung his nose, making him wrinkle it in displeasure.

"I have been waiting for you, young one." A raspy female voice spoke.

"Waiting for me?" Dillan asked, not sure if he heard her correctly.

"Yes, please, come in and I will explain." She spoke to him gently. She motioned with her hand for them to move past her and into the darkly lit room.


	5. Chapter 5

After his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room he started looking around taking it in. The room didn't hold much. A wooden circular table was placed in the middle of the room, with a single candle lit in its center. There were loose leafs of paper scattered around it, along with an old fashioned ink well and feather pen. There were two chair placed at the table as well.

The woman, whom Dillan could see much better now, looked as old as her voice had sounded. He graying hair was swept up into a pile on top of her head and her face was defined by many deep wrinkles. She still had some beauty about her though. She must have been beautiful in her younger days.

"Sit, sit." The woman said. Gesturing to one of the chairs. Dillan sat awkwardly on one as she sat in the other.

"What is your name young one?" She asked him as she got herself seated.

"Dillan Story Ma'am." He answered.

"Now, Dillan, you may call me Emery. I need to ask you though; do you have the items?" she asked as she looked at him expectantly. Dillan looked at her in confusion. What items was he supposed to have? That is when he remembered the three items he had found in his room. The ones he had kept. Thankfully he had never changed out of his clothes and still had them in his pocket.

"Do you mean these?" he asked, setting them on the table in front of her.

"Yes, and the pendant. If you are here I know you must have it."

"Yeah. I found them in my room. I don't understand, what does a broken compass and a weird hourglass have to do with it? I get that the pendant must have been how I got through the door. But these are just plain old objects." Dillan said looking at the items on the table. The woman tutted at him in response.

"These objects have far more value then what you think. The young brownie girl here could even tell you." Dillan fist pumped in his mind when his thoughts were confirmed. She was female.

Dillan looked over at Shara to see her mouth wide open, staring at the items in awe. Scrunching up his face he looked at the compass and the hourglass, as if doing so would reveal to him what was so special about the items.

"I am sorry but I just don't see it. Can they help me get home or something? I really need to get back. I was attacked by some kind of a monster before I went through the door that brought me here. My mom is still in the house, and so is my baby brother. I have to get back; I have to warn them."

The woman's own brows furrowed in worry at hearing that.

"What kind of monster was it?" she asked him. Dillan described the monster and its horrible smells. He told her how it came after him, chasing him to the basement and how it was still in his home.

"Hmm, yes that is troubling. It sounds like when you activated the door someone else was watching. They are the ones who sent the troll. And yes, that is what attacked you. Stupid, disgusting creatures. They are only good for two things. Causing trouble and to do someone's evil bidding. Yes... you must move quickly. If you are to get home and save your mom you had better get started. Your journey will be long and often hard." She spoke as she stood and walked to a cabinet along the rear wall. Emery grabbed a satchel from within and brought it back to the table before handing it to Dillan.

"What is this?" he asked. "Why can't I just find the door and go back through?"

"This is a satchel left by the last Guardian. The last person to wear that pendant you have around your neck. I have never seen what is in there. Even if I wanted to I could not. There is a spell put on it to keep out anyone the guardian does not deem worthy. As for the door, it will only appear when you have finished what you came here to do." She said patting his shoulder in sympathy.

"I don't understand. I didn't come here to do anything. I was just trying to hide from the troll." Dillan said incredulously. He put his head in his hands, wondering how he got himself into this mess.

"Open the package dear, it will explain a lot of this. I just do not have the patience to explain. I am an old woman and grow tired much faster than I used to. I will allow you to rest here tonight. But I must insist you leave come morning. I have fulfilled my debt to the last guardian." Dillan nodded accepting that the old woman was done talking and would be giving no more explanation. She went left through a doorway he had not seen previously, leaving him and Shara in silence.

"Well, that in not what I expected." Spoke Shara, walking over to the table and examining the object Dillan had placed there. "I cannot believe you are a Guardian." She said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What is a Guardian exactly?" Dillan asked. If the old woman wouldn't give him anymore answers, then maybe Shara would.

"A Guardian is someone who guards a Gate. A door, that leads to another world. There are several Gates, I think, but no one has heard from any guardians in over three centuries. We thought they had all been lost. Some even believed they had only been a myth. Even the ones old enough to remember have all but forgotten if they were real."

Dillan listen to Shara and thought about what she said. The last owner of his house must have been one of these Guardians.

"Wait, three centuries? The house with the door leading to this world was definitely not three hundred years old. It was more around fifty years old or so. How is it even possible?"

"Well, maybe time runs differently between worlds. That would be the most reasonable explanation. It is getting late; why don't you get some sleep. I will be back in the morning for you. I need to take care of some things before we head out. Maybe I can get a lead on where we need to head. Right now we are going in blind."

"You are coming with me?"

"Well of course. If you know nothing of this world you are going to need my help." Shara smiled up at him.

"Thank you." he said sincerely.

"Hmm, first lesson, never thank anyone. In this world it means you owe a favor. You cannot back out of if the person comes to collect. The magic of this world will not allow it. Owing the wrong person a favor could be very dangerous to your health."

"Oh, ok then. Tha- ok." Dillan corrected himself. For once having manners might get him killed he realized.

Shara disappeared to who knows where after that and Dillan stood up stretching. Looking around the room he spotted a caught like bed folded up in one of the rooms corners. It was dusty and looked about as sturdy as rotten wood, but it would have to do. Curling up on the cot, with the satchel placed under his head for a pillow, he fell into a fitful sleep.


End file.
